James huber



v APPQICATION FILED MAR. 20, I917.

Patented Sept. 2.1919;

Ill Hi 1 l l I.

lllll III I H I l l l I invention;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HUBER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VICKERS LIMITED,

1 OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR SUBMARINE-MINE FIRING-GEARS.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed March. 20, 1917. Serial No. 156,097.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES HUBER, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Submarine-Mine F iring- Gears; and I do hereby. declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a releasable lockingdevice for submarine mine-firing gears.

The invention is applicable to firing gears on that class of mines in which either the mines themselves, or the firing levers thereon, or both, rotate when in contact with a ship, and has for its primary object to provide a locking device which will not only prevent the premature firing of the mine, but will be practically instantaneously'etlective to permit the firing of the mine upon the relative rotation of its sections when'in contact with the ship.

A further object of the invention resides inthe provision of means, which, when incorporated in the class of locks which includes two relative rotatable and longitudinally movable sections, will resist the relative rotation of the sections witha predetermined force, but when rendered ineffective to prevent such rotation by the action of a predominating force will assist in the relative rotation of the sections.

In the drawing, I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, but this embodiment is merely selected for the convenience of illustration, and it is to be understood that numerous changes may be made within the scope of the claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, of an embodiment of my Fig. 2 is a tragmental sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View on line 3'3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

The gear lock which is illustrated in the drawing is of the same general type as that illustrated in my co-pending application, SerialNo.156,096,filed of even date herewith.

The device illustrated in the co-pending appli- -which a shank 9 extends upwardly.

cation includes a pair of sections which move longitudinally with relation to each other and in which means is provided for resisting the relative rotative movement with a predetermined force, which means, when rendered inoperative to' prevent such rotative move ment, will permit the relative rotation upon I predetermined force, but which, when rendered inoperative to prevent such movement, assists in 'causlnglthe movement. Thus a.

.quick action mine is provided, that isto say, one which will explode almost instantly after engaged by a ship. Of course, this type may be advantageously used where the object ship is comparatively short and its speed is great, as will be readily obvious.

The present lock includes a mine section 1 having a reduced cylindrical portion 2 and an anchor section 3 having an axially arranged chamber 4: adapted to receive the reduced portion 2 of the section 1. The mine section is attached to the anchor in the usual -manner by means of a chain and clevis 5 and ,is provided vwith the usual mine-firlng lever 6.. The sections 1 and 3 are held together by means of a bayonet connection which comprises an element 7, having a base 8, from On the upper end of this shank, a head 10 is formed, which head is provided with wings 11. The

shank 9 is adapted to extend through a passage-way 12 in the portion 2 of the section 1, while the head 10. is adapted to be located in a recess 13, with which said passage-way communicates. When the bayonet connection is efi'ective to prevent the relativelongitudinal movements of the sections 1 and. 3,

the wings 11 will rest upon shoulders 14,

but upon the relative rotative movement of the sections, these wings are brought into alinement with channels 15 which are formed on. opposite sides of the passage-way 12. The element? is attached to ,thesection 3 of the look, so that it will rotate with the section, but may have slight longitudinal movement with relation thereto by bolts 16 which are secured to the base 8 of the element and extend through thelower portion of the section 3. The heads 17 of these bolts are located within recesses 18 in the section 3, and interposed between the heads and the ends of the recesses are soluble elements 19 which, during the planting of the mine, prevent even the slight relative movement of the locking element 7 and the section 3, but will, when they pass into solution, permit such movement as is usual. Of course, the firing rod 20 extends upwardly through the base 8, shank 9 and head 10 of the locking element 7 in the usual manner.

In order that the relative rotation of the sections 1 and 3 which will be effective to bring the wings 11 into registration with the channels 15 may be prevented, I have provided one or more locking dogs 21, which are located in bores22 in the base 8 of the locking element 7, which bores are provided at their lower ends with water outlets 23. The upper ends of the dogs 21 are provided with converging cam faces 24, andthese dogs are urged so that their up- .,per ends normally extend from the base 8 by springs 25. V The upper ends of the dogs are adapted to extend into notches 26 in the lower edge of the portion 2 of the mine section 1, which notches are provided with cam surfaces 27, which are of inclinations corresponding to those of the faces 24 of the dogs. Extending from the notches 26 are cam faces 28 over which the dogs 21 are adapted to ride and which dogs, during their passage over the same, cause the relative rotation of the sections 1 and 3, because of the force exerted by the springs 25. When the parts are in the positions illustrated in Fig. 1, the bayonet connection between the sections 1 and 3 will prevent the separation of the sections without the relative rotation between the sections first occurring. The location of the upper ends of the dogs 21 in the notches 26 prevents the relative rotation of the sections under the influence of the tidal currents and the like, because of the fact that the dogs must be moved downwardly against the action of the springs 25 before any rotation may occur, and the springs 25 are of such strength that the tidal currents and the like are not of sufficient magnitude to overcome the action of the springs. It is to be noted in this connection, however, that when the dogs are in the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the springs 25 are not under compression, and the life and effectiveness of the springs are, therefore, much prolonged. When the mine engagesa ship, however, there is a tendency of the sections 1 and 3 to have relative rotative movement under the influence of the force exerted by the ship, and this force is of such magnitude that the dogs are moved downwardly against the action of the springs 25, so that the cam surfaces 24 of the dogs ride upon the cam surfaces 27 of the notches 26 and the springs 25 are put under compression. Immediately upon the dogs passing from the notches 26, they ride upon the cam surfaces 28, and because of the fact that the springs 25 urge the dogs upwardly, the sections 1 and 3 will be given a quick relative rotation, so that the wings 11 of the bayonet connection will be rapidly brought into alinement with the channels 15, and, consequently, the separation of the sections 1 and 3 will occur almost immediately after the contact of the mine with the ship. Thus a quick action mine is insured.

Of course, the necessary force which must be exerted by the ship is dependent upon the angles of inclination of the cam faces 24 and 27 and also upon the strength of the springs 25, so that the necessary force may be varied by the changing of one or all of these factors. This same is true as regards the quick action of the mine, as the rapidity of action depends upon the force exerted by the springs 25 and the angles of inclination of the cam surfaces 28.

What I claim is 1. In a releasable locking device for minefiring gear, the combination with sections separable upon sequential relative rotative and longitudinal movements, of means for resisting the relative rotative movement and to thereafter assist in causing such movement.-

2. In a releasable locking device for minefiring gear, the combination with sections separable upon sequential relative rotative and longitudinal movements, of means for resisting the relative rotative movement with a predetermined force and when that force is overcome to assist in causing such movement.

3. Ina releasable locking device for minefiring gear, the combination with sections separable upon sequential relative rotative and longitudinal movements, of means for resisting the relative rotative movement with a predetermined force and when that force is overcome to cause a quick relative rotation of the sections to disengaging positions.

4. y In a releasable locking device for mine firing gear, the combination with a pair of relatively rotatable sections, of spring-actuated means for resisting the rotative movement with a determinable force and when such force is overcome to operate to cause the quick relative rotation of the sections.

5. In a releasable locking device for minefiring gear, the combination with relatively rotatable sections, of means carried by one of the sections for resisting the relative rotation of the sections and for thereafter causing the quick relative rotation of the sections.

6. In areleasable locking device for mine-firing gear, the combination with rela tively rotatable sections, one of which sections has a notch with converging cam surfaces formed in the lower edge thereof, which section has also cam surfaces leading from said notch, of a dog carried by the other section arranged to seat in said notch to resist the relative rotation of the sections and to thereafter ride upon the cam surfaces which lead from the notch to cause the quick relative rotation of the sections.

7. In a releasable locking device for mine-firing gear, the combination with a pair of relatively rotatable sections, one of which sections has a notch in the lower edge thereof and cam surfaces leading from said notch, of a spring-pressed dog carried by the other section and arranged to resist the relative rotative movement of the sections, the dog-actuating spring loeing operative after the disengagement of the dog fromthe notch to move the dog on one of the cam surfaces which leads from the notch to cause the relative rotative movement of the sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES HUBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

